Sales are competitive and there is always someone who wants to replace us at the top. This competition factor challenges us both in business and as a salesperson everyday. It doesn’t matter if we are a business owner or a top sales performer. If you are a seasoned salesperson, someone wants your customers and your business. This challenge will never stop and we must always be vigilant about protecting our business especially our key customers.

When we watch sports, it doesn’t matter what game we are watching. The winner is decided by just one play or a moment that perfect execution is demanded. Success or defeat is just one action away. It is the same in our business and in sales. The secret to winning is staying in the game mentally and physically. We run the risk of losing sales if we don’t keep making new contacts and leveraging our existing business contacts for referrals. These pro-active actions will ignite new life in our sales game and keep us at the top of our competition.

Closing the back door of opportunity

Sometimes a competitive business or salesperson needs a tiny crack to get in the door of a key customer. Then again, sometimes we leave the back door wide open for them to come in because we forget to close it. We leave opportunities open because we don’t visit with our customers and learn how their business has changed or what new problems they have. For example, if we don’t ask we won’t learn that a customer is launching a new product line or that they are being swallowed up by a competitor, changing our business relationship. This will either be a great opportunity or a huge loss. We won’t know unless we remain close to our key contacts.

Successful business owners can’t afford to relax.

You’ve heard the story before; a business owner makes a comment that they don’t have time for pro-active marketing. They have just gotten too busy. Perhaps they aren’t contacting customers or prospects as they have in the past. Yet, they are enjoying the taste of success and are complacent. Hopefully they will recognize this defenseless situation. The business must recognize why they are basking in success. Fortunate business owners will recognize this pattern. Sales wisdom allows them to make quick adjustments and refocus pro-active marketing and sales strategies which will keep them at the top.

Clients versus customers strategy

The best pro-active sales strategies are focused on developing clients instead of customers. The difference is simple. Clients are more like friends and take an interest in you because you take an interest in them. Clients recognize that you care about them because you ask about their business and want to celebrate their success and support their challenges. Clients are repeat uses of your services and recommend you to their friends. Clients will maneuver past other businesses to reach you because they want to acquire their service from YOU! Customer’s are on-time users of your service and take little interest in you except when a need comes up that they need and you are convenient to them at the time.

A winning sales pro-active strategy has two parts. We must have both a good defensive strategy and a strong tactical offensive strategy. These must be pro-active, not reactive to our business. If we are not pro-active in our game plan, by the time we are able to react to a competitive situation, the game will be over and we are finished. Don’t let this happen to you. Create a winning, pro-active sales strategy.

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